Indepth interview technique is far more powerful than FGD in Phenomenological research.....

With focus group interviews, my own observation and from practice in conducting group therapy, the interviewer need to be well vexed in principles of effective communication skills - hence the need for the interviewer to practice even before conducting a pilot. Tshotsho

Agreed with Ronald Yesudhas, in-depth, relatively unstructured interviews tend to be much more powerful and in keeping with the ethos of empirical phenomenology (including sociological phenomenology) than are focus groups. If you are constrained for time, however, as long as you follow general phenomenological principles, FGs can provide phenomenological data.

Also don't forget participant observation as a way to put yourself in the shoes of the informants and understand the phenomenology of their practices. But this is a complement to in-depth interviews, not a replacement, as there can be divergences between what you observe and the claims made by the research participants which you can provide interesting insights.

Agreed with Emmanuelle, also don't forget to bear in mind the form of phenomenology you are utilising, as this will have a bearing on the research design and the specific methods you select as most appropriate. Hope that helps, happy to suggest some articles if you wish... Good luck with the study.

It is really not about not knowing what phenomenology is all about nor is it about what form of phenomenology, but this discussion is about "Why will anybody want to use focus group discussion in phenomenology?" There had been some thinking in the past that the use of focus group discussion in phenomenology is oxymoron!

Hello Olyuyinka,

Indeed an excellent question, and one that surfaces continually in the literature and again in my our work as a phenomenologists. Drawn from my own experience and that of students I have supervised, focus groups (in addition to observational data) can be used as a compliment to in-depth interviews. This form of data collection can illuminate further understanding into the phenomena of interest, thus providing more robust forms of data for analysis. Additionally, focus group interviews may potentially produce a different form of data, in terms of it being obtained collectively from multiple participants, with focus group questions drawn from initial interviews with participants. This often allows the researcher the opportunity to dwell more deeply with the data in particular areas of interest, thus more fully embodying the phenomena of interest.

If you want to work with a group looking at perceptions then another option is PhenomenOGRAPHY.

You might take a look at my A GEOGRAPHY OF THE LIFEWORLD: MOVEMENT, REST, AND ENCOUNTER (1979 and text available on line) as an early example of focus groups in phenomenological research (I called them "environmental experience groups"). This book is a phenomenology of everyday environmental experience drawn from observations via group discussion of specific weekly themes. the book is organized around the three lived themes of movement (grounded in Merleau-Ponty's body-subject), rest (grounded in at-homeness and dwelling), and encounter (modes of awareness with the world).

Also see Linda Finlay's PHENOMENOLOGY FOR THERAPISTS (2011), which includes a discussion of phenomenological methods.

David Seamon

Since I wrote the above, Max van Manen's new book, THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF PRACTICE, has been published. One of the best introductions to phenomenological methods. Also hermeneutics.

David Seamon

Thank you David

Focus group can be used in phenomenology. The research question, sensitivity of the topic and the modus operandi regarding the phenomeon under scrunity determines the type of interview method to be used.

I am doing interviews and phenomenological focus group for my ph.d work. can you please guide me that what analysis can be done with phenomenological focus group.To give you some background, I am following transcendental phenomenology for my interviews as I am focusing on essence of the experience. but I am confused on following domains

what should be the appropriate analysis of phenomenological focus group

whether I should go for essence of the experience and whether I should go for thematic analysis for phenomenological focus group

I think the element of phenomenology is individuality. To gain an understanding of "lived experience"- the "essence" in a FGD is questionable

@ Ayesha Aziz, first do the thematic analysis. From the themes, get the structural description, and eventually the essential insight....

Thank you all for guiding me.